23.12.2008 12:30 Alexander Bastrikin, Head of the Investigative Committee with the Russian Prosecutor General Office, claimed that he has evidence that Georgia employed American, Ukrainian, Turkish and Czech mercenaries in the August conflict in South Ossetia.
"Today we have got irrefutable evidence that combatants of Ukrainian nationalist organization UNA-UNSO were involved in these events”, said Bastrikin.
This fact is confirmed with private belongings, photo pictures, field uniform, note books of the combatants, as well as the routine order dated June 27, 2008 issued by the Georgian Ministry of Interior settling small-arms on the commander of the UNA-UNSO unit.
Besides, Bastrikin said that he cannot rule out the possibility of establishment of a special international court similar to the Hague Tribunal to prosecute the persons who committed crimes against the people of South Ossetia.
"Probably after the investigation is accomplished, we will speak about establishment of a special court on the events in South Ossetia”, he said.
The investigation of the events in South Ossetia will be extended until April 2009, thereafter the materials will be handed over to the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation.
"After the investigation the materials will be handed over to the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation, which will submit them to the world community”, said the Head of the Investigative Committee.
He also cannot rule out that the persons accused of crimes in the territory of South Ossetia will be delivered to the territory of the Russian Federation where they will be detained pursuant to criminal investigation procedures.
The Head of the Russian Investigative Committee pointed out that he has evidence that Georgia has been preparing the aggression against South Ossetia and Abkhazia since 2005.
"The Committee has materials seized after running away of the Georgian troops. We studied these materials together with experts of the Russian General Staff, and based on our assessments we may assert that they are the plans of the Georgian military and political leadership to use troops in operations against Abkhazia and South Ossetia. These plans were elaborated in 2005-2007 that confirms the fact that Tbilisi prepared in advance various versions of the use of force to establish its control over the Republics”, said Bastrikin.
According to him these materials confirm the General Staff’s data on the operational strength, configuration and weapons of the Georgian Armed Forces as well as shipments of certain arms from foreign countries.
"We have documents including soft copies, which enable us to come to a conclusion that the armed forces were prepared for invasion of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The seized plans provide for annihilation of both military and civil facilities, including villages resided by Ossetians, as well as artillery shelling of the Russian peacekeepers’ HQ and firing range”, said the Head of the Investigative Committee.
Besides, the Georgian troops completely destroyed 655 residential houses and partially destroyed more than 2000 buildings in the territory of South Ossetia.
The Investigative Committee with the Russian Prosecutor General Office initiated a criminal case under Articles 105 (murder of two or more persons) and 357 (genocide) of the Russian Criminal Code having recognized more than five thousand people as persons affected by the Georgian aggression.
On August 8-12, Georgia conducted a military operation against South Ossetia. The Georgian troops practically completely smashed Tskhinval, the capital of South Ossetia, and many villages. According to the South Ossetian authorities they killed more than fifteen hundred civilians. Tbilisi also planned a wide-scale aggression against Abkhazia. 
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